


Dungeons and Masters

by Megane



Series: Chambers & Champions [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bonding, Comedy, Dialogue Heavy, Everyone's Having a Good Time, Family Feels, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Games, Role-Playing Game, Self-Indulgent, Special Guest - Freeform, Tabletop Game, nerds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-07-11 10:41:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7045156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megane/pseuds/Megane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An armoured enemy pounces on the team, and they have to take it down! With their fate in Ignis' hands, it's only a wonder how they'll survive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

        “The enemy has a large armoured hide. It's about five meters tall and is extremely aggressive.” Ignis turned his head and looked over to Prompto on his right.

        “Moving closer wouldn't be a good idea, would it?”

        “It will instantly attack you.”

        Prompto curled his fingers against his cheek and huffed slightly, squeezing his cheek up towards his eye. “If I had my guns, this wouldn't be a problem.”

        Ignis smiled to himself and gave the smug reply of, “But you don't, in this instance. Gladio?”

        Gladiolus crossed his arms and huffed slightly. “I'll post myself at the edge of the rocks. Seems like the best move for now.”

        Ignis nodded and looked over towards Noctis. “Noctis?”

        Noctis shrugged up a shoulder lazily and gave a tired sigh. “I'm fine right here, for now.”

        Ignis once again nodded and look back towards the enemy. After a moment of silence, he reached up and pushed his glasses up to his nose. “Everyone, roll for initiative.”

The group groaned, and as the males reached for their dice, Luna leaned over towards Ignis' end of the table. Ignis glanced up at her and gave the slightest tilt of his head. Luna looked to him and smiled before giving him a dismissive wave. She sat down once again and rolled her part. Ignis waited until all of the dice had settled before pointing his pen at Noctis.

        “Fifteen.”

        Luna covered her face with both hands, planning her first move. She dropped her hands down to her mouth and looked to Ignis. “Twenty-seven.”

        “Twenty-seven? What the hell?” Gladio leaned over towards her before quickly turning his head to Ignis. “Seven.”

        Prompto placed his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “Twenty, even.”

        Ignis rolled his die twice and then took a moment to write down the order before setting his pen down. Prompto sat up in his chair quickly. “Wait! Before we go, can I inspire Noctis, er, Haxia really quickly?”

        “Go ahead.”

Prompto pulled out his phone and quickly flicked over to his instrument playing app. He began to play a slow song, and everyone at the table – except Ignis – began swaying left-to-right.

        “Attack that body. Stab it in the eyes; tell me no lies. Haxia's got it–” Prompto started to laugh as he sung. Everyone else snorted a laugh and looked over to him; those who were already bobbing with the song kept it up until Prompto set his phone down some seconds later.

        Ignis motioned towards Noctis. “Haxia, that rousing lyrical masterpiece gives you plus eight Dexterity.”

Noctis made an okay sign with his hand, though he was biting down on his lip to keep himself from smiling. Prompto gave two thumbs up to everyone before once again reclining in his seat. Ignis set down miniatures onto the map he constructed; everyone leaned closer to figure out where their pieces where in relation to each other. Noctis snapped his fingers in irritation, and Luna ducked her head down towards the Player Handbook once again.

        “Since the Bulette broke open here between Constance and Zallae, they were thrown back and fell prone. Zallae, for the time being, is put in a daze. Tolassan, what's your first move?”

        Luna tapped her finger against her lips and furrowed her brows. “How thick is its armour?”

        “Thick enough. You can assess by looking at it that it would take a few well placed strikes to hack away at its thick outershell. Its underbelly also is plated in a similar fashion; though it's weaker than the rest of its body, it's still well protected.”

        She narrowed her eyes and glanced down to the board once again. She reached over, grabbed the laser, and circled a square behind where her piece was standing. “Is there anything here behind me?”

        “No, it's just an open space, but if you moved far enough back, you would feel a rock structure behind you.”

        With a nod, Luna brought the laser to her lips. “I move back about five feet and cast Reverent Hand.”

        “Do an Intelligence check and…” Ignis stared at his paper, flicking his pen between his fingers, “add a disadvantage.”

Luna clicked her tongue and set down the laser. She picked up a yellow die before rolling it twice in quick succession. Her expression tightened for just a second between rolls before she sighed in relief.

        “Fifteen.”

        Ignis rolled a die at the same time and placed his pen down. “Hits. Roll for damage.”

        Luna paused for a moment, and Gladio leaned closer to her, watching the die rock into place. “Sixteen.”

        “As you curl your hand towards yourself, there's a shift in the atmosphere. It's a bit harder to breathe as Tolassan borrows life energy from within the cave –”

        Gladio began to rock side to side, holding his stomach as he glanced over towards Luna. “Is this revenge for hitting you earlier?”

        “I hadn't thought about it, but let's say we're even,” Luna replied with a smile.

        “– A large, Holy enchanted fist slams into the side of the bulette. It growls in irritation before whipping its head around to face you.” Ignis pointed to Noctis. “Roll for Dexterity.”

        “Don't use the Inspiration die yet!” Prompto shouted, jabbing a finger in Noctis' direction.

        “I won't; I won't.” Noctis curled hand around the die and rolled it with a shrug of his fingers. His lips turned to the side as he stared at the number for a moment.

        “Oh! Also, I have the Ring of Guiding Spirits, so I have plus five damage whenever I strike first,” Luna interrupted, looking very proud of herself.

        “Noted,” Ignis replied, quickly calculating the damage on his paper.

        As he did that, Noctis tilted his head towards Ignis. “Four.”

        “Okay. So, the bulette turns towards Tolassan, growling low enough to shake the earth. As it turns, Haxia is hit by the tail. _Whompf!_ ” Ignis slapped a hand against his stomach, rocking with the movement. “It slams right into her torso, knocking the air out of her.”

        Noctis raised up a finger. “Can I cling onto the tail though?”

        “Yes.”

        He then pointed at Ignis. “I'm going to do that.”

        Ignis smiled and nodded his head. “Even though the blow was dizzying, Haxia clings onto the bulette's tail and tries to catch her breath. The bulette doesn't take notice and instead focuses on Tolassan. Constance, your move.”

        “Uh…” Prompto steepled his fingers and pressed the tips against his lips as he stared up at the ceiling. His brows furrowed and then he shook his head, lowering his hands to the table. “Well, first. I'm going to jump the hell out of the way. Can I cling onto, uh, one of the…” He trailed off, snapping his fingers as he pointed up at the ceiling. “– _stalactites_! Can I cling onto one of the stalactites to stay out of the way?”

        “ _Can_ you?” Ignis emphasised, leaning towards Prompto.

        “I have a Grappling Hook on me.”

        “Then yes.”

        “Okay, then I–”

        “But remember, you're on the ground. You were knocked prone by the bulette.”

        “Dammit!” The other players laughed, and Prompto swung a hand dismissively. “Then _first_ , get up and the I use Hazy on the big bastard.”

        “Roll it with a disadvantage because you're dizzy from the blow.”

        Prompto snatched up his die. “It's okay. I have a plus…” He trailed his finger over his character sheet. When he found it, he laughed wickedly and rubbed his die between his hands. “Never mind. I'm going to wait to use it. It's a one time treat.”

Having said that, Prompto rolled his die with a passion. He snapped his hand backwards, biting down on his lip as he watched the die roll forward and rest against the edge of the Player Handbook. He leaned towards it, snapped his fingers, and slouched forward.

        “Six.”

        “Doesn't hit. In fact, it shakes its head quickly, feeling your influence, but it quickly fades away. Haxia's still on its tail, which has stilled by now, and the bulette glaring down Tolassan.”

Ignis imitated a guttural growl, slowly swaying himself as he stared at Luna. After a beat of silence, she gave a weaker growl in return. Everyone, including Ignis, laughed. Ignis grabbed two dice and rolled them easily. He tilted his head towards Prompto and then Luna. Gladio made a soft “Oooh” noise at the look as he glanced between both of his friends.

        “You're gonna die,” Noctis said jokingly, gently turning his pencil between his fingers.

        Luna stuck out her tongue at him and focused her attention on Ignis as he spoke, “The bulette focuses on you, Tolassan, and lets out this powerful growl. As it moves closer, it starts swiping at you with its front claws, breathing heavy and lashing blindly. Roll your Fortitude saving throw.”

        Luna flexed before rolling her die. Her fingers curled and uncurled as she counted quickly. “Thirty-two.”

Prompto slapped his hands on the table, crying out in awe at the roll. Gladio leaned back towards Prompto as he gave Luna a stunned but impressed look. She lifted up a fist to him, and they quickly fist bumped. Noctis gave an appreciative nod.

        “It does not hit,” Ignis said once the excitement died down a bit.

        Prompto wagged his finger at the Dungeon Master. “Hell no it doesn't!”

        “You raise up one arm to protect yourself from the lashing. You don't even turn away to protect your face. In fact, you stare at the bulette as it hacks down on you, but it's unable to penetrate your armour. You let out this heroic battle cry –”

On cue, Luna leaned back and opened out her arms, giving a heartfelt shout. Noctis let out a wheezy little laugh, eyes shutting.

        “– and you shove back onto the bulette, knocking it a bit off kilter, but it stands strong. It's _incredibly_ irritated that you were able to withstand its assault, but that ends its turn. Haxia.”

        “Can I use my katar to cut up the length of its body. Like...” Noctis walked his fingers up in the air. “Climb it like Everest?”

        “The armour's too thick, and you would actually be at a disadvantage if you tried.”

        Noctis nodded his head thoughtfully and then said, “I'm going to stab it in the butt.”

        Ignis' chest jerked with a silent laugh. Noctis opened out his hands looking to everyone else. “Well, it doesn't, technically, know that I'm there, right?”

        “That's true. Roll 2d20 – one for Strength and the other for Dexterity – then add your Sneak Attack bonus. Then roll for disadvantage.”

        Prompto wiggled his fingers at Noctis and said in a singsong voice, “Inspire!”

        “And also add your Inspiration bonus,” Ignis added.

        “That's a lot of dice,” Gladio commented, arms folded over his chest.

        Noctis shrugged, playing it off. “I've got two hands.”

Sure enough, he grabbed his dice in either hand, making sure that he had the right amount before dropping them onto the table. He rolled one to an eight and pushed it over towards a white die. He grabbed one more die and added it into the mix. After moving the highest die to the side, Noctis began his count. He tapped the eraser of his pencil against the table, counting the quick bounces with each curl of his fingers. Finally, he gave a heavy sigh and placed his hands on the table.

        “Thirteen.”

        “Roll again.”

        “Twenty.” A cheer went up in the air.

        “Nat twenty?”

        “Yup.”

        “You shift yourself on the bulette's tail to try and get a better hit. You pull out your katar out and twist them around to center yourself. The first strike doesn't connect. You thought you had a clear estimation of how thick the armour was, but it's just not enough. So on the second attack, you reach back and – _shft! **–**_ thrust forward with a bit more power. The bulette screams in pain and flicks its tail.”

As Ignis explained the situation with growls and extravagant hand motions, the door to the bonus room opened and closed gently. An older, clean cut man walked in. Noctis tilted his head towards the figure and closed his eyes when his hair was ruffled. Regis sat down beside his son, and the two of them focused on Ignis.

        “Now you know what it's like to be a pain in the ass,” Noctis said at the end, jerking his hand forward in a stabbing motion.

        “Of course,” Prompto snorted.

        “You fall off,” Ignis continued, “and the tail slams against you again, flicking you away from the bulette. You slide across the floor. You're not unconscious, but you take… fourteen points of bludgeoning damage.”

        “Worth it…” Noctis joked, leaning to the side and trailing his voice off.

Regis reached up to pat his son on the shoulder, laughing though he wasn't sure of the circumstances. Ignis gestured out a hand towards the older man.

        “Regis, I rolled for you earlier; it would be your turn now. We've entered the Mysidian Caves finally, and after the initial scout, the party was surprised by a bulette. You were in a daze, lying prone on the ground, but you're now aware again. You can try to move, but you'll have a negative impact on one of your stats from the dizziness. Your choice.”

        Regis adjusted himself in place before replying surely with “Wisdom.”

        “You have minus three Wisdom for three turns as well as a disadvantage roll for this turn if you choose to attack.”

        “Now, where is everyone?” Regis leaned towards the map, and Noctis began pointing, lowly describing where everyone was to his father. Afterward, Regis gave a nod and took the laser pointer from in front of Noctis. “I'll use my first move to stand, and then I'll use Shadow Like to move where Haxia is.”

        “As you sit up, your head is swimming, but with your hand pressed to the ground, you can sense where everyone is in relation to you. The bulette stomping around shifts your mind's eye's vision, but you know exactly where you need to be. You dissipate in a cloud of smoke before reappearing behind Haxia. She's now propped up against your body, and she gives a groan in pain.”

        “Good to see you, old man,” Noctis groaned, squinting in pain up at his father.

        “I go where I am needed,” Regis replied gently, sagely.

        Ignis turned more to his right and looked to Gladio. “Paxten, your turn.”

        “I'm going to use my first move… to jump onto the bulette's back.”

        “Okay.”

        “And then I'm going to cast Soft Armour on everyone else.”

        “What's the range?”

        “Uh…” Gladio scanned over his character sheet before flipping it. Prompto helped him spot the skill. Gladio clicked his tongue as he read over it. “Sixty feet. It's a Concentration spell, so it's plus one and a half for every player turn I'm not disturbed.”

        “But you're on the bulette's back.”

        “Yeah, so I'm just doing it for this round. It's about to pancake flip me; I can feel it.”

        “How long do the effects last?”

        “One minute for every party member effected.”

        After a quick count, Ignis nodded his head and around the table. “You all feel this cool breeze sink in past your flesh. There's a minty taste on your tongues, and you glance up to see this radiant beacon standing proudly on the back of the bulette. The creature feels calmer, being in the same vicinity. Paxten, roll for healing.”

        Grabbing a ten sided die, Gladio gave a couple of jerks and then dropped the die onto the table. “Nine.”

        “Plus nine healing to everyone this turn. Top of the round is Tolasson.”

        Luna pointed at the bulette piece with Gladio's on top of it. “Since… Paxten is standing on top of the creature, I don't want to startle it, but!” She leaned over towards Gladio and smiled. “I have an idea.”

        Gladio clapped a hand over her forearm and leaned to her. Their foreheads and noses were almost touching. They went crosseyed looking at each other. “Tell me.”

Noctis and Regis both chuckled. Prompto leaned forward to get a better view before huffing out a laugh himself. Ignis waited patiently as the two began discussing their battle plan. Noctis watched until his father leaned over and whispered in his ear. Prompto unlocked his phone again. After an app change, he scrolled through his character sheet, double checking and making sure that his stats matched what he had written down.

        After a minute or so of discussing, Luna and Gladio both turned towards Ignis. Luna pointed at him. “Boy, do I have a surprise for you.”

        “Please share.”

Luna's smile grew, and she grabbed the laser pointer to direct her next action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I started watching [Critical Role](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7atuZxmT954bCkC062rKwXTvJtcqFB8i) over the weekend, and I'm really into it. I originally "got into" D&D because of [Cry and his friends](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeqwXTaiY-OzSKxD-FGiNEnISVfQ7niJd), but this is the first time I felt really inspired to do something with this. So I have my own D&D character, and I came up with this!
> 
> This has FF elements in it with some of the 5e rules in there as well. If you play D&D, here are the resources I used for [monster checking](http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/bulette.htm) and [dice rolling](http://www.brockjones.com/dieroller/dice.htm).
> 
> For now this is "finished," but if I continue this round, you'll learn a bit more about their characters!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I've decided to finally add another chapter to this, and this is now another official series on my AO3. This is gonna be a lot of fun. Hopefully, it'll have regular updates. This chapter took 11 hours to write. Holy crap.
> 
> Stay tuned for yet another announcement!

     “Okay,” Luna began as she moved the laser between her and the bulette. “How close is the bulette compared to where I am right now?”

     Ignis looked down at the pieces and, after a brief silence, said, “The bulette is about ten feet away from you, and remember that Paxtan is standing on top of it as well.”

     “Right.” Luna curled her fingers around the laser pointer, which she then brought against her lips. She let out a long and thoughtful hum before looking over to Gladio. She raised her left brow. “Should I still do it?”

     “I’m here for this _one hundred_ percent,” Gladio said, bringing his right hand over his heart and holding his left hand in the air.

     Luna stared at him for a moment longer before relaxing her features and looking back to Ignis. “Okay.” She dramatically slammed down the laser pointer. Gladio grinned beside her. Prompto and Noctis _oooh_ ed gently as they looked from her to Ignis and then to each other. “I want to run up and _grab_ the bulette by its front left leg to keep it from moving."

     “Roll for Strength check.”

Luna pulled back quickly, reaching down to grab her gold die. She gave it a quick shake and then dropped it onto her characer sheet. She flicked her gaze from the die to the sheet, using a finger to scroll down to her Strength modifier. She tapped her finger against the paper as she counted up the total.

     “Thirty-three."

      Ignis took a moment to roll a die as well, face expressionless when he took in a deep breath. “As you rush forward, the bulette gives a snap towards you, but you duck out of the way. Just before it can kick out at you, you– _dun dun_ – stamp your feet into the ground and wrap your arm around its leg. You lower your weight and center of gravity as you focus all of your strength on holding it in place. It is now considered Grappled.”

There was a brief moment of cheering, and Luna raised up her hands, nodding her head as she soaked in the noise of praise. Gladio reached over to clutch Luna’s bicep, which she flexed underneath his hold. 

     “Constance, you’re up.”

     “Okay, _now_ I use my grappling hook,” Prompto said, “and I pull myself up to the ceiling.”

     “Alright.” Ignis laced his fingers together.”

     “And–“ Prompto held his hands towards Ignis, fingers fanned out. “That counts as my movement, right?”

     Ignis nodded. “Correct.”

     “Okay. I pull myself _up_ to the ceiling, and I cast Voices of Bahamut on the party.”

     “Ooh, alright.” Ignis pointed to everyone else. “You all have a d10 bonus to all of your attacks for the next round, but Constance, you are now at a disadvantage on all your attacks for the next two rounds.”

     Prompto shrugged up his shoulders. “That’s fine.” He then pressed a kiss to his fingers before turning to everyone else, blowing a kiss. “For the team.”

     There’s a soft laugh from everyone, but Ignis was focused now on the notes he set in front of him. He flicked his gaze back and forth between the pieces before saying, “The bulette will try to break out of its grapple.”

He and Luna both rolled a die. Ignis whistled; Luna brought her hands into her hair, sighing loudly. Gladio reached over to pat her back.

     “Nineteen.”

     “Okay. The bulette has broken out of its grapple and has taken a step back. Paxtan, make an Acrobatics check.”

Gladio curled his fingers around the white and grey die and let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. He rolled the die briefly before dropping it on the table. He tilted his head down, taking in the number before saying,

     “Fourteen.”

     “Paxtan, you lose your balance, but you manage to grab onto the scales to just barely stay on top.”

     Gladio grabbed onto the table and gave a sharp gasp. He closed his eyes tightly and said in a musical but worried voice. “'Just don’t look down. Just don’t look down. _Just don’t look down_.'”

     “Hang in there, buddy!” Prompto stage-yelled, cupping a hand to the side of his mouth. He held his left hand up in the air as he spoke.

     Noctis rolled his eyes. “Oh my god,” he mumbled.

     Prompto gave him a thumbs up, and Ignis smirked, rubbing his hands together. “That’s the bulette’s turn. Haxia.”

     “So we should, you know, attack this thing, right?” His lips tugged down at the corner as he tipped his head left and right. “So I’m still on the ground, right?” He looked over to his left towards his father.

     “I transported over to her,” Regis said, pointing to Noctis but looking to Ignis.

     “We can say because Zallae used Shadow Like to get to you that he helped you stand up.” Ignis closed his eyes, shifting his right hand outward for a moment.

     “Okay, so I’m going to run up and attack it where I hit it last time.”

     “Roll and you’re at a disadvantage because of your katar.”

     “Right, right.” Noctis rolled his die, jerking once and then slamming his hand on the table when he looked over towards Ignis with a pained expression. “Two.”

     “For both attacks? And remember, you have your d10 attack bonus too.”

     “Right!” Rejuvenated, Noctis sat up and grabbed his bonus die along with his purple twenty-sided die. “That roll’s bunked anyway, so I won’t…” He trailed off, shrugging up his left shoulder. “Twenty-two.”

     Through the brief cheer, Ignis said, “Your first attack doesn’t connect–“

     “Again. Of course. Whatever,” Noctis muttered, tilting his head side to side with a small look of irritation on his face.

     “– but since you’ve attacked the bulette in its backside earlier, it screeches again in pain. It rocks its body, trying to shrink away from the source of this attack. Roll for damage.”

     “Hm… Four."

     After making a quick note, Ignis continued with, "Paxtan, make a Dex throw with a disadvantage because you’re already hanging on, and Haxia, make a Dex saving throw with your plus eight bonus from earlier."

     Gladio frowned and then grabbed his die, throwing it onto the table. His face suddenly lit up with a smile as he said, “Natural 20. Don’t tell me I have to roll again.”

     Ignis shook his head. “You’re fine. Haxia?”

     Noctis rolled his die and then smirked, setting his elbow down on the table and then setting his chin onto his partially curled fist. “Twenty-eight.”

     Ignis nodded his head slowly. “Very nice. So, Haxia, you dodge out of the way, jumping up into the air to avoid another powerful swipe of its tail. Paxtan, you– by some miracle of the Farplane– manage to hold on to the bulette, which is rocking violently in pain. When it stopped moving, you manage to pull yourself up to sit onto your knees. Speaking of, it’s also your turn.”

     Gladio tapped his lips before putting on his character’s melodic voice, adding a touch of worry into his tone. “'I’m going to… jump down. Because this is dangerous. WIll it try to hit me if I do?'”

     “If you jump off, no, it won’t notice, but you’ll have to make an Athletics or Acrobatics saving throw, your choice.”

     “Aaah.” Gladio rolled his die and chewed his bottom lip. He let out a sigh afterward, closing his eyes briefly before looking to Ignis. “Nineteen.”

     “Nineteen’s good enough. You slide down from the back of the bulette. That counts as your action. Would you like to move?”

     “I want to move as close as I can to the entrance or– whatever this little opening is here.” Gladio took Luna’s laser pointer and pointed off to the upper left of the corner of the map.

     “Since your movement isn’t as far as the others you make it about halfway to here,” said Ignis as he moved Gladio’s character piece further out of the fray.

     Gladio raised up his hand into an okay sign. Luna took in a deep breath. 

     “I remove my War Hammer from my back, grip it tightly with both hands, challenge all of my strength, and swing straight at the bulette’s head.” Luna chewed the inside of her cheek as she rolled her die. “Thirty-two.”

     “That hits. Roll for damage.”

     Luna rolled and then clicked her tongue. “Three.”

     Ignis scribbled down the total with a slight nod of his head. “Zallae.”

     “‘Well,'” Regis said with a deep, rolling voice. “'I agree with Haxia that we should attack this bulette to kill it quickly. So I switch out of my Normal stance and rise up onto the balls of my left foot. I draw my right leg up and extend my wings out, switching into Bird Lifting stance.'” Regis sat up in his seat, rolling back his shoulders and broadening his chest, looking more mysterious and threatening with his hooded gaze. “'I rush forward, lift up, and kick right into the spot where Haxia had attacked.'”

     Regis rolled his die and then made a face. He brought his attention over to his character sheet. “'Twenty-two.'”

     “Twenty-two just _barely_ hits. So, as you rush forward in your Bird Lifting state, you manage to land your initial attack, and chain into your three supporting attacks. Roll 3d6 plus half your Strength modifier."

     "'Of course,'” Regis rumbled with a slow drag of his voice. 

As Regis gathered his dice, Luna leaned over towards Gladio and Prompto on her left and muttered “Of course” in the same way Regis did. The three of them shuddered, and Prompto touched the back of his hand against his forehead. Ignis smirked as he watched. Noctis rolled his eyes, embarrassed by the three of them.

     Regis smiled a bit and then rolled his dice. Afterward, he said to Ignis, “Twenty-three for the first; thirty-one, and then… Twenty for the last. So, that’s seventy-four points of damage.”

Through the various exclamations of surprise, Noctis furrowed his brows and mouthed _What?_ at his father, shaking his head slightly in surprise. Ignis hovered his pencil over his paper before quickly calculating the damage. He set his pencil down and let out a short breath. “It’s looking bad. You all have it against the ropes, as it were. Since bulettes aren’t typically native to these caves, it’s unable to use its typical attacks. So, passively, it’s become Desperate and will lash out before it falls.”

     Everyone nodded, and then Gladio brought his left hand up to his face, thumb curled as he rubbed the knuckle against the bridge of his nose. “‘Uhm…'” he began in Paxtan’s voice. “'I leave—' no, I’m kidding.”

     Noctis narrowed his eyes at Gladio, shaking his head with a sly smile. “You bastard.”

     “I’m here. I’m here. Uh– what can I do from he— wait.” He looked over to Prompto. “You’re still hanging up from the ceiling, aren’t you?”

     Before Prompto could reply, Ignis perked up and said, “Oh, good point. Constance–” 

     “Dammit!” Prompto shouted, slapping his hands onto the table. “I was _so close_  to staying out of the battle.”

     “– Roll for Strength with a disadvanage.”

     Prompto swung his head over towards Gladio, eyes narrowing as he reached for his die. He rolled it twice, whipped his head to the die, and then Gladio as he said, _“‘Seven!'”_

     “With your strength?” Gladio asked, trying to keep character and not sound too amused.

     “'I _have_ no strength, _Paxtan_.'”

Gladio laughed, shoulders shaking as he mouthed _I’m sorry_. Prompto pursed his lips and closed his eyes, turning his head towards Ignis. He brought his elbow onto the table and propped his chin in his palm.   

     “You do not have the muscle strength nor the training to hold onto the grappling hook for as long as you have so far. Roll for… Dexterity.”

     Prompto huffed a sigh. “Dexterity’s _fine_. That I can do.” He rolled his die and grinned, biting down on his bottom lip. “Twenty-one.”

     Ignis rolled his die, and his lips tugged down as he gave a slight nod. “Lucky you. You manage to jump onto the bulette and then lower down to the floor. You take two damage on impact. Paxtan, it’s still your turn.”

     “'Yeah, I–'" Gladio stopped immediately when Prompto looked up at him. He waved a hand. “'I’m going to…'” Gladio trailed off and then clapped his hands together, touching his fingers to his lips. “I just realised I’m useless because none of you are hurt.” He looked to the others and then to Ignis, saying, “I have _one_ offensive move, and I’m not going to use it.”

     “So, what do you wish to do?”

     Gladio tapped his fingers against his lips. “How far is Constance from me?”

     “About ten, fifteen feet.”

     “Can I run up, grab him, and pull him out of way?”

     “You can.”

     “Alright.” Gladio immediately took on the soft, musical voice again. “'Constance, come on.'”

     “'Wait! My hook!'” Prompto said in a scratchy, accented voice– a softer take on Ignis’ own accent. 

     “'We’ll get it later, elf! Just– come here!' And then I wrap my arms around Constance to keep him in place.”

     Ignis pointed to Prompto. “Do you resist?”

     “'No, I just… _hmph_!'” Prompto slouched in his seat and crossed his arms. “'Cross my arms and huffily stand against him.'”

     “Tolassan.” Ignis pointed over to Luna.

     “'I see how run down it is, and I take another swing at it.'”

     “Before you roll, it’s going to try to resist or half your attack.” Ignis rolled his die, clicking his tongue against his teeth. “It fails.” He then nodded his head towards Luna.

     She rolled her die and tapped her fingers against the counter. “Twenty-six.”

     “That hits.”

     “And that’s… nine damage.”

     “Alright. Constance.”

     “Can I back up and take Paxtan with me?”

     “How far back do you want to move?”

     “Just… into that little entrance right there.” Prompto pointed at the map, leaning up slightly and motioning where he wanted. 

     “Since you’re moving with two people, you have half your speed, but since the entrance is right behind you, that’s fine. Aah.” Ignis rolled his die and pointed to Luna. “The bulette is going to use three bites at you. The first goes for twenty-seven.”

     “Hits.”

     “Mn, natural one.”

     Luna grinned. “Fails.”

     “And…twenty-eight.”

     “That hits.”

     “First attack hits you for thirty-five points of damage, and the second hits for thirty-four.”

Luna nodded her head, typing the numbers into her calculator. Afterward, she calculated the damage to her hit points. Gladio smirked and tapped her calculator before looking over to Ignis.

     “It uses another furious strike, but this time with its tail towards Haxia and Zallae.”

     “How many attacks does it get?” Noctis asked.

     “When its in a desperate state, four plus a bonus attack.”

     “Lame.”

     Ignis rolled the die and then after a moment said, “Thirty-six.”

     “Hits,” Noctis and Regis said in unison. Noctis gave a small smile as he reached out to flip his character sheet over.

     “Haxia, roll for Dexterity, and Zallae, roll for Strength because you’re in your second stance.”

     Noctis rolled his die, scowled, and pretended to throw the die. Just as it left his fingertips, he caught it in midair and crossed his arms tight. “'Fourteen. Fine, whatever.'” Noctis took on a firm, somewhat breathy voice. “'I’ll just be the punching bag– just remember to visit my grave after I’m _bludgeoned to death_.'” Noctis leveled a stern glare on Ignis.

     Regis reached over and rubbed Noctis’ back. “Seventeen for me.”

     After a short series of rolls, Ignis said, “Haxia, you take twenty-one points of bludgeoning damage. Zallae, you take half that, so eleven.”

     Noctis quickly scribbled down his damage, not even bothering to do the math. He clapped his hands together with a sharp noise before rubbing them together fiercely. “'My turn, right?'” he asked in Haxia’s voice, sounding a bit more determined. “'I know that I’m at a disadvantage, but I’m going to use Mist Persuasion to try and kill this thing. I just start clashing my katar together.'”

     “Roll for it.” 

     Noctis rolled his die. He clapped his hand over it, looking over to Ignis with a heavy sigh. “'Can I change my mind and sit this out?'” he asked, letting exasperation bleed into Haxia’s voice. 

     “What’d you get?”

     “‘Eighteen.'”

     “You try to connect with the magical energy in the caves, but the magic isn’t anything you’re familiar with. The mythril sings and shines but is overall overwhelming, and you can’t pick any particular mist energy out of the air. You manage to keep yourself out of the way of the bulette's tail, but you don’t have the ability to channel the mist just yet.”

     “I’m going to stay where I am.” Noctis spoke in his usual voice and shook his head, sighing through his nose. “Kill it, dad,” he mumbled, leaning over to nudge Regis with his elbow.

     “Zallae’s your _dad_?” Luna asked, faking incredulity. 

     Prompto pretended to dab a pencil on his tongue and pantomimed writing in a book. “'Oh, my next song will be _all_ the rage in the taverns.'”

     Regis smiled at Noctis, giving him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. “'I’m going to attack again in Bird Lifting.'”

     “Roll to connect."

     Regis moved his hand down to roll his die. “'Natural twenty.'”

     Noctis jutted his hand over towards the red and black die. “Where was this literally a turn ago?”

     “That’s… eleven points of damage."

     “And for your three following attacks?”

     Regis gave three quick rolls. “'Fifteen, nineteen, and fifteen.'”

     Ignis brought his fingers together. “Zallae, your limits have broken.” Everyone cheered except Noctis, who gave a slow clap for his father. “How do you wish to proceed?"

     “I’m going to…” Regis cleared his throat as he brought himself up straight, rolling his shoulders back and closed his eyes. “‘I push up with my right foot and float in the air. My wings flap thoughtfully for but a moment, and then I _rush_. I burst into a flurry of attacks, and then with one guttural laugh–’” Regis brought a hand to his stomach as he mustered up this deep, ominous laugh. Prompto looked around to the others, shock and amazement evident on his face. “‘I bring my hands up over my head and drop Weight of the World onto the bulette.’”

     “The bulette tries to stagger out of the way of the attacks, bumbling blindly as each of your furious strikes connects. It tries to keep itself upright, but you drop this spell orb onto its body. The spell is large enough to consume the bulette almost entirely. It tries to scream out, but its voice is lost in the vacuum. And then suddenly, _fwsh_ –!” Ignis wiggled his fingers before clasping his hands together, wrapping his fingers around both hands. “The bulette is crushed under the magical weight and is no more.”

Luna leaned back in her chair, eyes closed as she let out a sharp _Whoo!_ The others followed suit. Noctis drummed his hands over the table. Prompto leaned over towards the map, taking a moment to think before speaking:

     “Is there anything to loot?”

     “The bulette’s body is still there, but it’s flattened,” Ignis said, motioning a circle over the creature.

     Prompto scrunched up his nose before looking over to the others. “‘Can we just loot this thing and then go home?’” he asked as Constance.

     “‘I’m not opposed,’” Regis replied, dusting off his shoulders and then folding his hands in front of himself on the table.

     Noctis shook his head at his dad, trying not to smile and failing. “‘Aren’t you smug…? _Well,_ I wouldn’t mind, I guess.’” He then looked over to Ignis. “Is there anything in the cave that catches my eye?”

     “From here, no. There’s just the the gently frosted mythril, stalactites, and the now dead bulette.”

     “‘I’ll wait outside,’” Noctis said. “And then I… walk past the two goofs in front of the entrance and make my way out.”

     Ignis sat up straighter. “Those of you who stayed managed to retrieve ten pounds of bulette scales, five bulette teeth, and– Paxtan, roll for Perception.”

     Gladio nodded his head and gave his die a sharp roll. “Twenty-three.”

     “You notice that, within the bulette’s mouth, is an amulet. You reach in, take it out, and feel dark magic swirling within. From your many years as a cleric to your people and from your experience with the Farplane, you can feel the creeping soul energy. It feels almost like a contained plague. This amulet, ah… Amulet of the Forgotten,” Ignis said as he double checked his sheet, “has a plus five spell bonus but reduces your max HP by ten and you are permenantly at disadvantage with Constituition throws.”

     “‘I’m going to look around quietly and put it in my sleeve, hiding it from the others. I want to examine it when we get back to the palace.’”

     “Alright.” Ignis nodded his head, pointing towards Gladio. “Anything else?”

     “I’m okay,” Luna brought her hand to her chest, looking to the others for confirmation.

     After a brief but uniform noise of agreement from the others, Ignis brought his hands together, rubbing his palms slowly. “You all gather your spoils, take one last look around the caves, and then exit. You mount your chocobos and head back into Pomf. From there, you catch your airship back home,the Veldisia Palace. You all are welcomed by guards and servants alike. In spite of not taking much damage during the battle, you all are just happy to be home.

     "Dinner is prepared; you all drink and eat and take this moment to decompress before finally heading up into your rooms where you sleep for the evening. And with that, we can conclude tonight’s session.”

     “Great job, everyone,” Regis said, looking around to the others. He then checked his watch before placing a hand on Noctis’ back. “Dinner? Or do you want to linger for a little longer.”

     “I can do dinner. Just us?” Noctis flicked his finger back and forth between him and Regis. After the little nod, Noctis gave a thumbs up. He began gathering his character sheets and dice. “Alright, we’re off.”

     “See ya, Noct!” Prompto waved a hand. He then said to Regis, “Bye, Dad!”

     Regis smiled. “Prompto.” He then said his good-byes to the others as he gathered his items as well.

Noctis gave one final wave to his friends, and he and his father exited out of the room. Luna moved around the table to where Noctis was sitting, scooting it up to keep up with conversation. Ignis leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. The four continued to talk for a little longer into the night, discussing the game and reviewing character sheets before calling it a night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pst, pst. Have you heard the word? Well, if you haven't, I've embarked on a new journey recently. You'll have to click on my tumblr link to learn more. Hopefully, this will allow me to keep writing fics guilt and hassle free in the future. Those who embark on this little journey with me will get to see me ramble about fun things like trivia, story and character bonuses, and whatever else falls out of my brain.
> 
> Anyway, excitement! I opened it last week (Friday?), but I just wanted to get this update out first to properly alert you all~


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